The Challenge
by OrlandoBloom'sGal
Summary: It's Hermione Granger vs. Pansy Parkinson, as they compete for Severus Snape's love. Who will win? HGSS andor PPSS. Rated M for later chapters. R&R please! CHAPTER 8 NOW UP!
1. Pansy's Bet

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own anything related to Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the genius behind these characters.**

Hermione sat idly in her chair, twiddling her thumbs. Class was over, but Snape had asked her to stay. She watched as the other students packed up their things and left the classroom. Hermione looked back to find Ron and Harry staring at her, curious as to why Snape decided to keep her after class. She motioned them to leave, and they waved goodbye as they headed out the door. She smiled to herself as she turned to the front of the class.

"_I have such good friends"_ she thought.

She faced Snape who was sitting at his desk, doing what looked to be like marking papers.

"_Did he forget I was here?"_

She continued staring at him.

"Maybe, he will get the feeling that someone is watching him…" 

After about a minute or so of staring, Snape never even so much as glanced at her.

"_Clearly this __**isn't**__ working."_

Hermione cleared her throat. Snape rustled through some papers, as if he was unaware of the noise. She raised her hand in the air, as if she eagerly wanted to answer a question in class. He paid no attention to her whatsoever.

_"Ugh…I can't handle this bloody silence any longer. I demand to know why the old bat is keeping me."_

"Professor…" said Hermione suddenly.

"Miss Granger," interrupted Snape, "you spoke out in class a total of **eight** times today. Each interruption results in two minutes after class. Do you know how long you will be staying after class today, Miss Granger?"

"Sixteen minutes, Professor?" she asked.

He glared at her as he rose from his desk, walking slowly over to Hermione's table. Reaching the table, he grasped his hands on the edge and leaned forward, towards Hermione's face. Hermione could feel the hot air on her skin as he exhaled. Hermione's big, brown eyes looked into his narrow, black ones.

"Your time begins now" Snape said.

Snape turned swiftly and made his way back to the desk, Hermione's eyes following him all the way. Hermione hadn't realized it but she broke out into a small sweat and her heartbeat had sped up.

_"Geez, it must be getting warm in here,"_ she thought as she pulled her collar away from her neck. 

Snape returned to his revisions as Hermione eyes looked over him carefully.

_"This can't be the same Snape that sat in that desk a few minutes earlier. I feel almost attracted to him. I mean, now that I think about it, I do like how his flat, black hair lightly grazes his shoulders whenever he moves. And his beady, little, black eyes can be quite captivating when stared into. And his nose may be crooked…but it gives his face a little character. And it is kind of amusing watching his facial expressions. And his lips do look a bit soft…wait, what the hell am I thinking about?! Oh gods, I've gone mental."_

Hermione put her hands over her face, as her head shook from side to side.

* * *

After her sixteen minutes with Snape were up, Hermione left and went to the Great Hall. There she found Ginny, sitting at the Gryffindor table and looking rather lonely. 

_"I should tell Ginny. She would know what to do."_

Hermione sat down at the table across from Ginny.

"Ginny, I have something to tell you," Hermione said in almost a whisper.

"Well?" asked Ginny, wide-eyed.

Hermione looked around, making sure no one's eyes and ears were on them, and leaned in closer to Ginny.

Hermione said quietly, "I think I may have a crush…on Professor Snape"

"You mean, you're just **now** having a crush on him?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on! Every girl's had a crush on Snape. I've had one ever since our first Potions class…"

_"Bloody hell, the girls in this school are mad."_ Hermione thought.

Ginny continued, "I mean, don't you know about Pansy's plan?"

"Plan? What plan?"

"She bets that she will be the first girl to shag Snape, and that **he's** going to make the first move."

"But…what about Malfoy?"

"I don't know if he knows."

Hermione looked over at the Slytherin table, where she spied Pansy sitting on Malfoy's lap and whispering in his ear.

_"I almost feel sorry for him."_

"Ginny," Hermione said, "I'm going to give our dear Ms. Parkinson some competition."

"You're what?"

"Two can play her game, and I'm going to win."

Hermione smiled as she got up from the table, and winked at Ginny as she walked away.


	2. Amortentia

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own anything related to Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the genius behind these characters.**

It was a cold, February morning when Hermione went down into the dungeons for her Potions class. She eyed Pansy as she walked into the room.

_"Ahh, there she is. Winning Snape won't be as easy with me around."_

For one small second, Pansy and Hermione shared eye contact. Hermione gave Pansy a sly smile. Confused, Pansy turned away and Hermione sat in her appropriate seat, looking quite confident. Her expression of confidence faded into intense desire as she saw the long, black robes go billowing down the aisle.

"It has come to my attention," Snape said, as he was making his way to his desk, "that a certain...**despicable** day is fast approaching, and Dumbledore has asked me to teach you a potion that would be most appropriate for it: the most powerful love potion known in our wizarding world."

When reaching his desk, he promptly turned to face the class.

"Would anyone like to do me the honor of stating said potion to the rest of the class?"

He glared at the motionless class. He raised one of his eyebrows.

"Does no one know the answer? Potter? Weasley? Longbottom? Well, clearly NONE of **you** three know. I don't even know why I bother wasting my breath."

Hermione cleared her throat before saying, "I believe Professor that the potion you are referring to would be the Amortentia potion."

Snape turned toward her direction.

"Miss Granger, are you aware that you just interrupted my class?"

Hermione smirked as she said, "I was in fact aware of that **before** I spoke Professor."

Snape opened his mouth to say something when Hermione continued, "I'm also aware of how the Amortentia potion is identified by its mother-of-pearl sheen, and the characteristic spirals that appear when steaming."

Snape, who was getting very irritated, stated, "I do believe I did not ask for any further information than the name of the potion, Miss Granger."

"You didn't ask me to tell the class of how the aroma of the Amortentia potion is different for everyone, reminding the person of the things they find most **attractive**," Hermione looked the enraged professor up and down as she continued, "but that doesn't mean I need to withhold information from the class, now does it Professor?"

Snape clenched his fists as he walked over to the front of Hermione's table.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for a student attempting to be the next Hogwarts Potions master. Miss Granger, I will be seeing you after class."

As Snape turned away, Ron turned to Harry and whispered, "Since when does Hermione **continuously** disrupt a class?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, "Don't know. She has been acting strange though…"

Their conversation was cut short when Snape said, "Now that a certain annoyance has been taken care of, we can now proceed with **my** lesson and construct the Amortentia potion."

* * *

The students obtained the necessary ingredients, and soon many cauldrons were brewing. Snape walked around the class, looking from cauldron to cauldron, criticizing as he went along. 

"Finnigan, do you call that mother-of-pearl? It looks more like **cream white** to me. Potter, are you even **reading** the recipe? Weasley, I would not even **smell** that potion if you paid me one thousand Galleons. Longbottom, I need not even look in your cauldron to know that you screwed up"

When he came to Hermione's cauldron, Snape stopped, came down to Hermione's level, snarled, and said, "Seems to be quite average for someone who knows the potion inside and out."

Though one would think that Snape's comment would hurt Hermione, she had a small smile on her face.

"_Average is good. Very good. Coming from Snape anyway. I'm sure __**his**__ Amortentia potion is flawless. But Snape is never one to give compliments, especially to Gryffindors. So, I'll take average any day. Feel sorry for Neville though, it looks like he's about to burst into tears."_

She looked over to see Snape in the Slytherin section.

"Crabbe, you seem to be improving. Goyle, this is turning out a lot better than your last potion. Malfoy, just add one more ingredient and you'll be done."

"Figures." Ron muttered.

Hermione looked over at Snape who had just gotten to Pansy. Hermione smiled once again.

"_She hasn't said a single thing all period. Does she honestly think that Snape will fall for her if she makes __**no**__ effort in class? This is going to be a lot easier than I thought."_

Snape said, "Miss Parkinson…"

Pansy interrupted him, "I'm sorry Professor, but am I cutting this right?"

She started chopping, rather haphazardly.

"_No! Of course that's not right! Are you __**DENSE?**__" _Hermione thought.

"I'm afraid, Miss Parkinson," Snape replied, "that if you do that, smoke will arise from your potion. Here let me show you how to do it properly."

He went behind her, placed his hand above hers, and wrapped his fingers around the knife.

He whispered, "Do you see how uniform it is now? They're all neat and precise."

"Thank you Professor," Pansy whispered back, "I don't know what I would have done without your help."

Snape's hand finally parted from Pansy's and he stated, "Just ask me for help when you need it. And you needn't worry; your potion is one hundred times better than Longbottom's."

Hermione couldn't see very well, but it looked as if Snape gave Pansy a little wink. Hermione's eyes widened.

When Snape left, Pansy looked over at Hermione, and gave her a very sly smile.

"_Ah, so this was her bloody plan all along. Playing dumb. Whereas I decided to play smart. Well, the girl's had experience with other Slytherin boys, so it's no wonder she's getting farther than I am. But maybe, I can give myself an edge."_ Hermione thought.

She eyed the Amortentia potion.

"_A very strong edge."_

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for all the comments! I hope I get more! Sorry it took so long to update, I hope to put up another chapter soon. **


	3. It's Now or Never

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own anything related to Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the genius behind these characters. **

**A/N: A slight spoiler from DH**

Hermione was once again left in the Potions room, with only Snape for company. Which she didn't mind, of course, but he was in a foul mood. He had concocted some sort of beverage, and he sat at his desk, with his head in his hands. Every once in a while, Hermione could see his fingers gently massaging the sides of his forehead.

"_He must have a head-ache. All thanks to me, no doubt."_

The silence was nearly heart-breaking.

"Sorry, Professor." Hermione said suddenly.

Snape, looking rather shocked at the abrupt noise, asked, "What did you just say to me?"

"I said, sorry," Hermione repeated, "I just…I only wanted to impress you with my knowledge on the subject."

"Be that as it may, there was absolutely no need for you to speak out of turn. So, you must suffer the consequences: losing house points and spending time after class with me."

"I don't actually consider spending time with you as a consequence, sir. And, I suppose, now's a time as well as any to tell you that I purposely blurted out the facts on the Amortentia potion…just because I knew I would spend some time alone with you after class."

Snape raised an eyebrow and asked, "…meaning?"

Hermione thought to herself, _"Oh gods…well, here goes."_

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I find you fascinating. As a teacher and…as an individual. You are one of my favorite teachers, after all. Potions is just such an interesting concept, and your teaching style makes me want to learn more about it. So I go above and beyond the other students, just so I can prove to you what an excellent Professor you are. But I also find the man that you are when you don't teach to be quite alluring as well. I've wanted to explore that side of you for a while. I guess, Professor, you can say that I'm very much attracted to you."

"_Holy hell, I can not believe I just said all that. What was I thinking, that Snape would say something along the lines of, 'I love you,' or some bullocks like that? Well, I hope he says something, anything. Oh please, Snape, please say something…"_

"I-I…" Snape stuttered.

"Yes?" Hermione asked, hoping for a positive response.

Snape cleared his throat. "I have to organize my supply closet, Miss Granger. I think it's best if you returned to your dormitory. It seems you stayed overtime anyway."

"_Shite. Nice Hermione, you've scared him off. Remind me to give you a pat on the back later."_

As she gathered her things, Snape said, "I take it you can see yourself out."

She nodded before he walked through a door in the back of the room, and closed it behind him. Hermione, then went into her robes, and pulled out a small vial - filled with a pearl colored liquid. She quickly approached his desk and stared at the mysterious beverage Snape made.

"_It's now or never."_

She quickly opened the vial, and poured out its contents. A small, heart-shaped bubble floated out of the concoction and popped.

"_Now is not the time to be staring at random bubbles! I have to stir this and get out of here before Snape walks in."_

She stirred the beverage hastily, and it didn't look **that** much different than it had before.

"_Hopefully, Snape won't notice." _she thought as she gathered her things and walked towards the door.

"_Now let's see, I'll go up, change into something that's a little more easy on the eyes, and come back saying I have a question about the homework or something. By then, hopefully he drank some of the potion, and well…we'll see what happens."_

She closed the dungeon doors carefully behind her, and darted happily off.

* * *

Snape emerged from the back room a short time later, and sat down at his desk. He looked at the clock on the opposite wall. 

"_I'll have to leave for dinner soon. Though I don't really feel like eating."_

He took a sip of his drink.

"_I'd much rather…lie in a field of flowers, looking at the starry sky. And I'd have __**her**__ beside me. I'd slide my arm under her neck and gently caress her soft, pale arm. She'd move any bits of hair from my face and look into my eyes. And I'd look into those deep, loving eyes of hers. Then she would plant a gentle kiss on my lips. When she draws away – oh how I wish her soft lips would never leave mine – she'll place her head on my chest."_

Snape opened his bottom drawer and pulled out a picture.

"_Oh Lily, how I wish you never left me to be with that Potter. You don't know what I would do to run my hands through that luscious, red hair of yours. I even miss the scent of your hair; I am always reminded of it when I smell lavender. And…"_

Snape's thoughts were cut short when he heard a knock at the door. He quickly returned the picture to the drawer and yelled, "Come in!"

The door opened slowly opened, and the guest revealed herself.

"May I help you?" Snape asked rather silkily.

"Um, yes I was just wondering if I could get some help with this homework you assigned us?"

"_Well, she's not my Lily, but she'll have to do."_

Snape replied, "Well, come over here. I'll see how much I can help you with."

He quickly added, "Oh…and close the door behind you."

* * *

**A/N:** **I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Thanks for all the wonderful comments. **


	4. Inside the Supply Closet

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own anything related to Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the genius behind these characters.**

Hermione straightened her shirt, as she stood before the doors leading into the Potions room.

"_I do hope this shirt isn't too revealing, I mean it is kind of low cut, but that's not that bad right? Hmm…maybe I should have worn my red one; I don't know if white is really my color. And…Merlin, these jeans were tighter than I thought they were! Okay, okay, stop freaking out. Just go in, and act as if you __**didn't**__ plan this."_

Her hand reached for the doorknob, but stopped in mid-air.

"_I don't know if I can do this. This is my Professor, we're talking about. But then again, this __**is**__ Snape. Right, if I stand here any longer, someone might see me. Do it Hermione, open the bloody door already!"_

Hermione held her breath as she slowly opened the door. As she slipped inside, she looked around the room. Snape was no where to be seen. There was, however, a student edition Potions book on one of the tables.

"_All right…this is strange. Where could that man be? Could he have gone to the Great Hall already? No, he wouldn't leave his room unlocked, now would he? Hmm…he must be here somewhere."_

She wandered around the room and stopped in front of his desk. His strange drink was now just an empty cup.

"_Excellent. Now just to find the drinker. Hang on; he might still be in the supply closet."_

She walked to the door and slowly opened the door.

"Um, Professor…"

She spotted Snape on the floor. Actually, he was on top of someone who was on the floor. Snape quickly turned his face toward the door. The girl under Snape did the same, as her flaming red hair twirled to reveal her identity. Hermione dropped her Potions book.

"G-Ginny?"

Ginny, whose face had turned as red as her hair, said, "Hermione…what are you doing here?!"

"Yes, I'd actually like to know that myself." Snape added, though quite embarrassed.

Hermione was stunned.

"What am…what am **I** doing down here? What are **YOU** doing here? **Together**?"

Ginny was at a loss for words. Snape and her were now standing, as it would be most inappropriate to continue being in that position.

"Honestly, Hermione, it's not what you think. We didn't do anything…we were just…" Ginny said.

"Oh bullocks!" interrupted Hermione, "Spare me the details! I don't want to know, okay?!"

"Miss Granger...er, Hermione, surely you have enough sense to see that we are fully clothed. What thought may have happened would require far less attire."

"That doesn't justify anything!" Hermione shouted, "If I had walked in ten minutes later, do you think I would have found you 'fully clothed?'"

Tears were running down Ginny's face, whereas Snape looked down at his shoes.

Hermione continued, "Ginny, you knew how I felt about him. And Snape, you knew how I felt about you too. But, honestly, what do my feelings matter? After all, I'm just a long-time friend…"

She looked at Ginny, who was silently sobbing.

"…and a know-it-all student."

She looked at Snape, who was now looking straight back at her, with a look of sorrow in his eyes.

"But it seems I've overstayed my welcome. So, I really should be going."

She picked up her book, and walked slowly out of the closet. She quickened her pace, until she reached the dungeon doors. As she closed it behind her, she leaned against it. The tears that she struggled to hold back for so long were finally released.

"_Oh, please just say it was all just a bad dream. If it was Pansy that I caught with Snape, it would have been a different sob story. But no, I had to find Ginny…my friend, Ginny. And though I do feel angry, this feeling of pure heartache has overpowered me. And there's nothing I can do about it, Snape has chosen. I should be happy for her. But I just can't bring myself to do that. I'm so damn selfish. She liked him too, Hermione. She even told you. I mean, for Merlin's sake, you would have done the same thing in her position. All right, let's just go to sleep and forget all about this. Our feelings for Snape are __**over**__. Do you hear me? __**OVER**__."_

She managed to get back on her feet, and ran as quickly as she could to her dormitory without being seen. She flung herself onto her bed, and her silent tears soon dampened her pillow.

* * *

**A/N: All right, I hope everyone liked that little twist I threw out there. Anyways, thanks for the great comments. I hope they continue.**


	5. Clueless

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own anything related to Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the genius behind these characters.**

Hermione looked in the mirror and stared at her puffy eyes.

"_Well…it could have been worse. I could have found out when I was in too deep. This is nothing compared to a broken heart. Yeah…at least I don't have a broken heart."_

She said a quick spell as her eyes returned to normal, and made her way down to the common room. Harry and Ron were waiting for her.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. Where have you been?"

"Oh, you know…just the usual….studying and what not" Hermione answered.

"Well, that's normal I guess…for you anyways. We're going down to the Great Hall, care to join us?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, yeah I would"

"

* * *

As they entered the Great Hall, Hermione's eye fell on Ginny. Hermione's gaze then quickly moved to the head table where Snape sat. Both were staring back at her. 

"_Well, THIS isn't awkward."_

She suddenly turned to Ron and Harry and said, "I'm sorry. I just remembered. I…er…have to go to the library. And…research."

They both looked at each other, then at Hermione.

"What? For what class?" asked a rather curious Ron.

"Um…it's for…transfiguration. A sort of….independent project McGonagall assigned me. And I kind of lost my appetite. You go on without me."

"Um, all right then. See you in Potions first hour," Harry said as he and Ron turned towards the Gryffindor table.

She gave one last glance at Ginny and Snape, and hurried out of the Hall.

"_I can't believe I have Potions next. I don't think I can make it. I mean, I had to walk out of there just now because I was so uncomfortable. How am I going to STAY in class, in the same room as him?"_

Her train of thought got interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. Hermione turned and saw Ginny's pink face in front of her.

"H-H-Hi Hermione" Ginny said nervously.

"Oh…hello."

"I know I might be one of the last people you want to see right now, or at least one of two you don't want to see right now, but I felt a need to explain."

"I really don't think…"

"No. Please. I need you to know what happened. It's true; I did enjoy Snape kissing me. But I didn't go with the intention of throwing myself at him; I actually had questions to ask him about a paper he assigned us. You should have seen the look in his eye, Hermione. He wasn't himself; he seemed…possessed. I know it's hard to believe, but…"

A slight feeling of guilt surged through Hermione.

"No. I do actually believe you. But, I'm sorry; I won't be able to forgive either of you for sometime…I really must get going."

And just like that, Ginny stood alone, staring at the robes that sprinted up the steps.

* * *

Hermione was alone in dungeons for about half an hour when the rest of her Potions class filed in. Harry and Ron took their seats next to her. 

"So how's the project coming along?" asked Harry.

"What...Oh, yeah that. It's fine.

"Just bloody fantastic," she muttered to herself.

Ron was about to say something, but Snape entered the room, and the once bustling class became silent. Hermione lowered her eyes, her weak attempt to ignore his presence and hide from his powerful gaze.

"Our lesson today will cover Felix Felicis. Would anyone like to inform the class on the significance of this potion? Perhaps a clueless Gryffindor?"

He smirked at the table in front of his desk as his eyes glided over Longbottom, Potter, and Weasley. His smirk faded when he saw Hermione, looking down at her lap.

"_How very odd," _Snape thought to himself, _"The irritable little know-it-all is silent? How very odd indeed."_

"Now, does anyone, anyone at all, know the significance of this potion?" Snape asked the class, though his eyes were still on Hermione.

No one in the class moved. Ron and Harry both looked at Hermione, astonished that she wasn't spewing out random facts already.

"_Well, she can't be quiet forever_," Snape thought.

"Miss Granger. You seem to know everything about every potion. Please…enlighten the class with some useless detail."

Hermione's eyes slowly lifted from her lap to Snape's eyes. They then quickly descended back to her lap as she said, "I don't know, sir."

The whole class let out a gasp, even Malfoy looked a little dumbfounded.

"What do you mean you, 'don't know?'" asked Snape.

"Well Professor," said Hermione, her eyes straight on Snape, "I never looked into it. I never researched it. I just **don't know!** Now, if you would be so kind, stop pestering me on a subject I know nothing of."

As Hermione's eyes fell back to her lap, she thought _"Oh! I know it, I swear I do. I just…I can't bring myself to say it. I can't let Snape off easy; he has to know that I'm affected by it."_

An indignant Snape continued the lesson, wondering as to what sparked such a change in Hermione's behavior. Though it would have been obvious to anyone who knew of the situation, the Professor was indeed…clueless.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked that chapter! Sorry it took me so long to update! Please review. :**


	6. Discovered!

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own anything related to Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the genius behind these characters.**

Snape sat there, elbow on the desk, chin resting on the palm of his hand, eyes glued on Hermione Granger. He watched her stir the contents of her cauldron, hastily yet precisely. Never once making a mistake on the potion she apparently "knew nothing of."

"_That was clearly a lie. How could the student who strives for perfection, be indifferent to her lack of knowledge?"_

Snape's thoughts got the better of him and before he knew it, class was over. The students gathered their things, and Hermione did the same. For once she didn't have to stay after class, or so she thought.

"Where do you think you're going, Miss Granger?" asked Snape.

A confused Hermione said, "To my common room, sir?"

"I think not. You are to stay after class."

"What for?!"

"Withholding information from the class"

"Wait, so, one day I stay after class because I talk too much and the next day, I stay after because I talk too…little? I do believe my punishment is unjust in at least one scenario."

The rest of the students left the classroom, leaving Hermione and Snape by themselves, once again.

"My classroom," said Snape, "my rules, Miss Granger. And besides, it is not your silence that I have called you for."

"But you said…"

"Forget what I said, it was just to incense you. I wanted to inform you on what happened yesterday."

"I already know what happened, thanks to Ginny."

"Well, not to say Miss Weasley was lying to you, but she didn't tell you the whole truth. But of course, she didn't know the whole truth to begin with.

Hermione raised one of her eyebrows as Snape continued.

"I was having such a splitting headache after class yesterday, that I brewed something to soothe my mind. Now if I remember, I headed to the supply closet with the assumption that you were going back to your common room…correct me if I'm wrong, Miss Granger.

Hermione nodded her head, unsure of where this was going.

"When I arrived back at my desk, you had already left. I finished my potion, and I was not only cured of my headache, but I felt intense passion as well. An extreme desire for the only girl I ever loved. And that was all I could remember until you found Miss Weasley and I in the supply closet. Now, I found this puzzling for a while, until I noticed this.

At this point, Snape got up and unlocked a drawer of a nearby cabinet. He pulled out a cup and walked back to the desk. He set it down in front of Hermione, and Hermione peered inside. All that was left in the cup was foam, with tiny but recognizable heart-shaped bubbles.

"_Oh gods. You're as good as expelled now, Hermione." _Hermione thought.

"It seems that someone mixed their Amortentia potion with my potion. My mind immediately jumped to Weasley or Potter playing a nasty little trick on me. But then it occurred to me, neither of them had a potion worthy enough to produce such an effect. In fact, no one in the entire class had a worthy potion…except for you. And that brings me to the main reason why I made you stay after, to ask you a simple question: did you, or did you not, put your Amortentia potion in my cup?"

"_I've got you now, Miss Granger,"_ thought Snape.

"_Shite." _

She looked back down at her lap. It seemed like a useful, yet pointless, thing to do.

"I…did," Hermione said softly.

"I didn't expect you to give in so easily, Miss Granger. I understand your logic, but I don't understand your reasoning."

"I don't know what you mean."

"I…understand why you would want me to consume such a powerful potion, since you are apparently attracted to me; I just don't understand **why** you are attracted to me Miss Granger."

"I'm sorry, sir…I guess I should just get my things and get ready to leave Hogwarts, then?"

"Whatever for, Miss Granger?"

"Aren't I expelled? Using such an influential potion is restricted, and on a Professor no less! I deserve to be."

"Dumbledore will not know of your foolishness today, Miss Granger, but see to it that it never happens again."

Tears filled Hermione's eyes; she was so sure this was to be her last day at Hogwarts.

"Thank you Professor. You have my word; I'll never do this again."

"Don't get too excited too fast. You need a suitable punishment. I could always send you to Filch…

Snape noticed Hermione cringe.

"But then again, you are very organized. I didn't get very far tidying up my potions…an appropriate job for you, is it not?"

Hermione nodded gratefully.

"_I can't help but think Snape is going easy on me…but I'm not complaining. Oh Snape, I could just give you a big hug…but that would be weird. Then again…oh just forget it, I'm hopeless."_

Snape returned the cup to his cabinet and walked back to Hermione, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"You can go now."

Hermione didn't feel like moving at all. Not with his hand on her shoulder, sending little bolts of electricity racing up and down her spine. But as she got up, she felt his hand draw away from her, and her heart sank a little.

"_Oh get over it. Mental, I swear. It was just his hand…on my shoulder."_

She shook these feelings aside as she gathered her belongings and headed for the door.

"Tomorrow you can start cleaning up my closet, Miss Granger. Come after your last class."

She gave him a small smile, and surprisingly, Snape returned it. Hermione turned to open the door, saw that it was already open a crack, and made her way to Gryffindor with that smile still on her face.

* * *

**A/N: Another good chapter, I hope? Please let me know. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Shattered

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own anything related to Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the genius behind these characters.**

The next day, after her final class, Hermione went down to the dungeons. She reached the classroom door and gave a little knock. There was no answer. She turned the handle, and found the door was unlocked. She peered inside the empty room.

"_It doesn't look like Snape is here yet. I'm sure he won't mind if I started without him."_

She closed the doors behind her as she slowly walked into the room.

"_I, Hermione Granger, have the Potions room all to myself. Oh, maybe I can make some more Amortentia potion, since the last one was…not that effective, for me anyway."_

Hermione smiled to herself as she glanced at the supply closet.

"_Oh, the possibilities. Well, I guess I better get started on this ruddy job."_

As she headed toward the closet, she noticed Snape's desk. It looked very intriguing. She looked around the room once more, making sure no one was there, and made her way to the desk. Hermione looked curiously around his desk, and spied the pile of marked papers.

"_Oh, this seems to be the test we took last week. Hmm, I really shouldn't, but what's one little peek going to hurt?"_

As she flipped through the papers, she occasionally stopped and pulled one out.

"_Oh dear, Neville barely passed this one. And Ron, he didn't do that bad either! Ah, here's Pansy's paper…meh, nothing spectacular. Wait…how did I miss this one?! What did Snape scribble on the corner…'Not enough detail?!' Well…what else could I possibly say?!"_

She threw her paper on top of the others. She glanced at the last test, which had a bulge under it. As she lifted the last test, she discovered the hidden, framed photograph. She put the test aside and looked carefully at the picture. The figure in the moving picture giggled playfully and sent a flying kiss.

"_It's a…woman, a young one at that. She has beautiful, red hair…and by the looks of her scarf, was in Gryffindor. She looks a bit like an older Ginny. Could this be the 'love of his life?'Maybe that's why he couldn't help himself when Ginny came in; they are strikingly similar…"_

"She's an eyeful isn't she?" said a cold voice.

Hermione looked up at the door and saw the Potions master coming towards her. She quickly put down the photo.

"No, sir…well I mean, yes she is…I mean…"

"Miss Granger, I know it might be difficult for you to stop rambling and make one complete sentence, but do you think you could inform me on why I found that picture in your hands?"

"I just…I noticed you weren't in here and I couldn't help being a little bit curious as to what I got on my test. And soon, I went through the whole stack, and found this photo.

She handed it back to him and looked down at her feet.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I know you must be sick of hearing me say that phrase."

Snape looked down at the all-too-familiar woman who he held in his hands. His hands trembled as he gripped the picture, the picture which he spent many hours of his life staring at.

"Sorry won't bring her back to me" Snape muttered under his breath.

"Beg your pardon?"

He set the picture on his desk. He slowly withdrew his hand from the frame, now warm from his grasp.

"I am the one who should say sorry, Miss Granger."

Hermione stared blankly at him.

"…beg you pardon, sir?"

"Forgive me. It is true I do not know why you found me attractive; I also do not know how fond you are of me. All I know is that what happened with Ginny must have hurt you. I know this first hand. Seeing someone you fancy get with someone else is no easy task."

Hermione stared at the laughing lady, and realized Snape was doing the same.

"She left me. I was in love with her and she was snatched away from me. My nemesis, he stole her and kept her. She's dead now; both of them are. All I have is this…

He took the photograph and threw it across the room.

"All I have is this and my memories. I'll never have her again. Not even when I'm dead. She'll still be with him."

Hermione said nothing. Instead she walked over to where the frame lay shattered, and kneeled down.

"Reparo" she said quietly as she waved her wand.

She picked up the fixed picture, walked over to Snape.

"I understand it is hard to forgive the man who loved her, lived with her, and died with her," she said, "It is the only thing you can do. And when your heart shatters with grief...

She handed him the photograph; his hand wrapped around hers.

"…You can only hope that someone is there to pick up the pieces."

They held each other's gaze momentarily and Snape freed Hermione's hand as he returned the photograph to the bottom drawer of his desk.

"Or maybe I should just hope that someone is there to say 'Reparo' when my 'heart shatters with grief' Miss Granger. Honestly, I didn't know you would go that bloody sappy on me."

They both shared laugh, though Snape's laugh was more like a meager chuckle.

"Are you mocking me, sir?"

"It would appear that way, yes."

* * *

**A/N: More to come soon. Remember to review!**


	8. Backrubs & Blackmail

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own anything related to Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the genius behind these characters.**

Hermione wiped the sweat off her forehead. Organizing potions was hardly a task that would result in perspiration, but Snape's closet was in a worse condition than he let on. She stood at the door of the closet and looked at the clock on the opposite wall of the classroom.

"_I have…oh about…fifteen minutes until dinner. I guess I should tell Snape that I can finish the other half, tomorrow or something."_

She walked out of the closet and glanced at the professor staring into space. She cleared her throat as he turned to face her.

"Professor, I think I will be off then."

"Ah, done so soon?"

"No, not quite. I still have a whiles to go. But," she indicated the clock, "it's nearly time for dinner, sir."

"Already?"

He looked up at the clock and then back at Hermione, who was massaging her shoulders.

"Something the matter?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. I guess reaching for the high-shelved potions strained me more than I realized."

"You do know you could have used a spell to retrieve those potions, Miss Granger. It would have gone more quickly and efficiently."

The palm of her hand went straight to her forehead.

"Right, of course. I'm so used to tidying up the Muggle way, I completely forgot I was cleaning a closet at Hogwarts. But now I know for tomorrow."

She got up to leave when Snape's voice stopped her.

"You're going off to dinner, I suppose?"

"That was the plan, Professor."

"Not in that condition you're not. Now sit down and let me see if I have something to make you feel better."

As he disappeared into the supply closet, Hermione called after him, saying, "You know, you really shouldn't bother! If it's anything serious I'll just go to Madame Pomfrey."

"Nonsense," he replied from within the closet, clinking various potion bottles, "Might as well fix it now and save her the trouble."

Hermione remained silent. Drawing the argument out any further seemed rather pointless.

"_Besides, I should be ecstatic that he's even offering to take care of me."_

Snape emerged from the closet, empty-handed.

"It appears that I have run out of an essential ingredient" he simply stated.

"Oh," she replied, watching as he glided across the room, closer to her.

"But, no matter," he said as he stopped just behind Hermione, "I'll just have to cure you the old-fashioned way."

"Meaning?"

Snape cracked his knuckles.

"Meaning…that now would be a good time for you to move your hair. It's cluttering my workspace" he said.

She did as he asked, and felt his hands cup the top of her shoulders as his thumbs rubbed small, deep circles into her muscles. His grasp on her was firm, but not hard.

"_Is he…is he seriously massaging me? Snape? My professor? He's actually doing this. On his own free will. This was actually his idea, not mine?"_

"Feeling any difference?" Snape asked as he moved a bit lower, unaware of the thoughts he interrupted.

"Yes…wherever did you learn how to do this? Surely not from a course at Hogwarts!"

His thumbs applied pressure along both sides of her spine as he continued, "Surprisingly, this is the first time I've ever given one. Lily was never tense like you."

"By Lily, I assume you mean the girl in the picture?"

Snape's hands were now at her lower back, and he kneaded gently with his thumbs back up to her neck. He didn't hear Hermione's silent gasp.

"Yes. She's the one."

He kneaded the fleshy muscles at the top of her shoulders. This made Hermione let out a soft, audible moan. Hermione closed her eyes tightly at her carelessness, as her cheeks blushed furiously.

"_Why did I just moan? Why did I just bloody moan?!"_

"_Did I just hear…am I really that good?"_

Snape removed one of his hands from her and shook it gently. He was getting tired, but strangely enough, he didn't mind continuing.

"_I have to stop. Someone could walk through that door any minute. Think of an excuse."_

He eyed the clock.

"Miss Granger, I do believe it's time for dinner."

She had to look at the clock herself, just to make sure that their time was indeed over. Unfortunately, it was. She reluctantly got up as Snape's hands fell away from her body. Hermione turned to see that he was massaging his own hands.

"Are your hands hurting?"

"They're just tired. I must of put more effort than I thought into fixing your pain. How are you feeling, by the way?"

"It was as if there was never any pain to begin with. Thank you, Professor."

She smiled. He walked over to his desk, in order to hide his own smile.

"Well," she said, "I better go."

"Very well. I'll see you in the Great Hall then."

"See you then," she said as she reached the dungeon doors.

She shot him another smile before she exited. He let out a sigh.

"What the hell did I just do?" he asked himself.

He sat down at his chair, and took out Lily's picture.

"She reminds me of you, you know," he said as he spoke to the photograph.

"Nothing compared to you, of course. It's just that…when I was about to give her that massage, I asked her to move her hair. And when she moved that brown, bushy hair of hers, I smelled it. I smelled you. I smelled the faintest scent of lavender. I was so sure that I was massaging your back. And when I realized that it was Hermione's…it didn't bother me at all actually. It felt almost…normal."

He stroked Lily's laughing face.

"…Like it was meant to be."

His conversation was put on hold when he heard something pecking at the door. When he opened the door, the visitor flew over to Snape's desk and waited for him there.

"Hello there, Olly," Snape said as he walked back over to his desk, "do you have something for me?"

The mahogany-colored school owl merely blinked, and stuck out his foot. As Snape untied the note loose from his foot, he fed the owl a small treat. Olly nipped him gently as he flew out the door.

"I wonder who would send me a letter at this time," Snape said as he unrolled the paper, "maybe it's from…"

Snape's eyes widened as he read the note.

"Dear Snape,

I overheard you talking after class to Hermione. I know everything. I know what you did to Ginny, and what you could have done to Ginny. But I also know that it wasn't your fault. Hermione put her Amortentia potion in your cup. I don't understand why you, the Potions master, couldn't tell when another potion was mixed in with yours, but that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that I have proof. I have proof of what you and Hermione did and I can go straight to Dumbledore…if you don't follow a few of my commands. The choice is yours Snape. Choose wisely.

Signed,

The Mischievous Mystery"

Snape's shifty eyes glanced to every corner of his room. He stuffed the note into the pocket of his robes, and stormed out of the room.


End file.
